Think of the last time you had a book that you couldn't put down. What was it about that moment that made you want to read?
As a classroom teacher for over ten years, issues with sharing come up often with over 20 children in one room and a limited amount of supplies. Sharing is certainly a useful skill that helps us co-exist peacefully. Parents often ask me strategies for sharing because they are exhausted from repeating, “SHARE!” as their children argue over toys, crayons, clothes, etc. They are often surprised when I tell them, “Your child doesn’t always have to share.” This is where the distinction between portioning and taking turns comes in handy.
STEAM education has been one of the most significant shifts in how we are educating children to critically and creatively make sense of the world around them. The various subjects within STEAM naturally overlap, apart from the “A” which was added to incorporate the teaching of the arts and a way in which children can represent their knowledge.
Mindfulness is a new buzzword. But what is it exactly? Mindfulness is the art of paying attention, in the present moment, without judgement. Sounds easy, right? Not always! We are often so caught up in the past or future, that we forget to live presently.
Empathy, the ability to understand others, is a building block of our society. It focuses on the process of deliberately engaging with the thoughts and feelings of others. It is a skill that can be fostered as part of social emotional development, including emotional literacy and perspective taking, as well as through values learning, with a goal for children to understand others and to act in their interests.
Is educational jargon standing in your way of understanding your child’s needs inside and outside of school? Parenting is hard enough without constantly having to look up terms to communicate with your child’s teacher. This week, let’s talk about executive functions. What are they really? And why do they matter?
All children develop at their own pace. You’ve heard that before, but you’re concerned your child is not able to keep up in school. You know not to compare, but you end up doing it anyway...
It is important to guide children as they learn about the world around them. However, we should never lose sight of the fact that a critical part of learning in these essential years involves learning about the self.
If you ask your preschooler or kindergartner what happened in school today, you’re often likely to get one of these popular non-answers: “Nothing” or “I don’t know."
It’s back to school time! “Back to school” means many things. Back to bedtimes. Back to school projects. Back to full backpacks. “Back to school” also means back to being in a group. School is not only a place for academics; it is also a place where children learn to function in a group.
It’s clearer to most parents how to encourage some behaviors, such as a love of reading, but they are often not as confident about fostering a love for creating. Here are some ways to nurture your child’s inner inventor!
Celebrate World Space Week with your child! Dr. Nermeen Dashoush explains how imaginative play can help young children learn about topics they can't observe or touch. Click below to discover the rules to a new learning game and get your child excited about science!
Every parent and early childhood educator has experienced the pleasure and confusion of sentences such as ‘The door is eating an onion’ or ‘Pickles and pineapple in the park!’ followed by a bellowing laugh.
How can you help your child learn major scientific concepts? It's all about making connections! Dr. Nermeen Dashoush explains.
Did you know that there are over 400 types of sharks in our diverse ocean? This shark week, expand your horizons and help your child discover lesser-known sharks.
Does your kid think pink is just for girls? Nature doesn't agree! Find out how you can challenge misconceptions around color while teaching your child incredible science facts.
Are you planning a road trip with your kids? Keep them entertained with the Savanna Safari Game!
Worried about the 'summer slide'? Don't be! Kids can learn all the time just by exploring the world around them. Dr. Nermeen Dashoush shares some fun learning activity ideas in a Summer Science Bingo.
Does your child want to spend all their time playing? They're preparing for their future! Discover the benefits of play in our expert article by Dr David Elkind.
This World Oceans Day, celebrate our Blue Planet's largest feature by learning about some marine animals you might never have heard of.
This mother's day, we celebrate all incredible mothers - in both the human and animal worlds! Click below to find out more about some animal super-moms.
Have you ever wondered why your kids argue over who has more cookies? Dr. David Elkind explores the stages of number sense.
Art is not just a fun extra activity for your kid. Art is a part of who they are, how they think, how they learn and how they communicate. So how can you use art to help them develop key skills?
May 8th is National Teacher Appreciation Day! At MarcoPolo Learning, we work closely with teachers to develop the World School curriculum. Therefore, we know teachers should be appreciated every day for their guidance, care and hard work. Along the way, we also discovered that teachers are the ultimate engineers.
Do you want to get your child excited about learning? It's all about context! Contextualized learning presents knowledge in a way that is meaningful and interesting to kids because it is connected to real world application.
How curious are children? Recent studies have quantified that answer, showing that young children ask around 100 questions per hour. So what do you do when your child asks you something you don’t know? Don’t fret. When you are next faced with a question you don’t have the answer to, just remember the 3Fs.